Campanula plant named ‘PKMP05’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Campanula  plant named ‘PKMP05’, characterized by having compact, upright plant habit; dense and bushy plant form mainly due to more upright stems; vigorous growth habit and no need for chemical growth retardation; greater number of flowers per plant, large upright violet flowers, and no need for vernalization.

Botanical designation: Campanula portenschlagiana.

Variety denomination: ‘PKMP05’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Campanula plant, botanically known as Campanula portenschlagiana Schult., commonly known as Dalmatian Bellflower, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘PKMP05’.

The new Campanula, ‘PKMP05’, is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor, Gert K. Jensen, in Søhus, Denmark. The objective of the breeding program is to develop a new Campanula variety with uniform and compact plant form and deep purple flowers.

The new Campanula cultivar originated from a cross made in 2002 by the inventor between a proprietary selection of Campanula portenschlagiana Schult named ‘PKMP01’, as the female parent and described in allowed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/648,304, and a proprietary selection of Campanula portenschlagiana Schult named ‘08.98.05’ as the male parent (unpatented). The inventor selected the new Campanula cultivar from the progeny of the above cross in 2002 on the basis of its compact and freely flowering habit. Plants of the new Campanula are more upright, compact and more freely flowering than plants of both parental selections.

Asexual reproduction of the new Campanula cultivar by terminal cuttings taken and propagated since January of 2002 in Søhus, Denmark, has shown that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true-to-type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘PKMP05’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘PKMP05’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit;     -   2. Dense and bushy plant form, mainly due to more upright stems;     -   3. Vigorous growth habit, and less need for chemical growth         retardation;     -   4. More uniform and deeper purple flower color; and     -   5. No need for vernalization.

Side-by-side comparisons between the instant plant and the parental cultivars, ‘PKMP01’ and ‘08.98.05’, were conducted by the inventor in Stige, Denmark. Plants of ‘PKMP05’ differ from the cultivars ‘PKMP01’ and ‘08.98.05’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of ‘PKMP05’ have longer internodes than plants of the         cultivars ‘PKMP01’ and ‘08.98.05’.     -   2. Plants of ‘PKMP05’ have darker gray-green colored leaves         whereas plants of the cultivars ‘PKMP01’ and ‘08.98.05’ have         green-colored leaves.     -   3. Plants of ‘PKMP05’ have longer flower peduncles than plants         of the cultivars ‘PKMP01’ and ‘08.98.05’.     -   4. Plants of ‘PKMP05’ are shorter and more compact than plants         of the cultivars ‘PKMP05’ and ‘08.98.05’.

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar in comparison to ‘PKMP05’ are the Campanula portenschlagiana Schult. parental cultivars ‘PKMP01’ and ‘08.98.05’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar ‘PKMP05’, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which more accurately describe the actual colors of ‘PKMP05’.

FIG. 1 shows a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘PKMP05’ (designated in the photograph by the breeder's reference, 08.02.06) as grown in a 10.5 cm pot.

FIG. 2 shows a view of a typical flowering raceme and leaves of ‘PKMP05’ (designated in the photograph by the breeder's reference, 08.02.06) compared to a typical flowering raceme and leaves of the female parental cultivar, ‘PKMP01’ (designated in the photograph by the breeder's reference 08.01.17).

FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of a typical flowering raceme of ‘PKMP05’ (designated in the photograph by the breeder's reference, 08.02.06) compared to a close-up view of a typical flowering raceme of the female parental cultivar, ‘PKMP01’ (designated in the photograph by the breeder's reference 08.01.17).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Campanula cultivar ‘PKMP05’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, day length, and fertility level without any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, together with the following observations, measurements and values describe plants of the new Campanula cultivar ‘PKMP05’ as grown in a heated and lighted, glass-covered greenhouse in Søhus, Denmark, under conditions which closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice. Plants of ‘PKMP05’ are grown in a glass-covered greenhouse where day temperatures in the greenhouse range from 18-22° C. and the average night temperatures is 16° C. Light levels used while growing plants of ‘PKMP05’ are 55 Wm². Plants of ‘PKMP05’ are grown with 16 to 18 hour long day photoperiodic treatments; 10 hour short day photoperiodic treatments for propagation and seedlings.

The age of the ‘PKMP05’ plants described is 14 weeks old after cutting, as grown in 10.5 cm pots. The photographs and descriptions were taken during the winter season when day temperature in the glass-covered greenhouse ranged from 18-22° C. and when the night average temperatures in the glass-covered greenhouse was 16° C.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.), 4^(th) ed., except where general colors of ordinary significance are used.

-   Classification:     -   -   Botanical.—Campanula portenschlagiana. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Campanula             portenschlagiana Schult named ‘PKMP01’ (described in allowed             U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/648,304).         -   Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Campanula             portenschlagiana Schult named ‘08.98.05’ (unpatented). -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10 to 14 days at 18 to 21° C.             in tunnels in a greenhouse.         -   Root description.—Fine, well branched. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Perennial, rosette plant with upright plant habit.             Campanulate flowers in racemes. Freely branching with             lateral branches forming at every node; dense and bushy.         -   Crop time.—After rooting, about 14 weeks are required to             produce finished flowering plants in 10.5 cm pots.         -   Plant height (soil level to top of plant plane).—About 13             cm.         -   Plant spread (width).—About 27 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity: About 85-90 per plant. Length             (including flowers): 10 cm. Branch diameter: 1-2 mm. 5             leaves per lateral branch.         -   Internode length.—25 mm.         -   Stem.—RHS 141B, green, in color.         -   Vigor.—Vigorous growth rate.         -   Foliage description.—Leaves single, dentate, cordate,             palmate venation. Length: 15-20 mm. Width: About 25 mm.             Shape: Cordate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Cordate. Margin:             Broadly dentate. Texture: Smooth, glabrous, dull. Color:             Upper surfaces (young and mature foliage) RHS N138A, green;             Lower surfaces (young and Mature foliage): RHS 138A, green.         -   Venation.—Color: (upper and lower surfaces) RHS N138A,             green. Pattern: palmate.         -   Petiole.—Length: 4-5 cm. Diameter: 1-2 mm. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: RHS N138B, green. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower number per plant.—About 1500.         -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single, upright, flowers in             racemes; campanulate flowers with small star shaped calyx.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous throughout the spring             and summer. Season can be extended by long day treatments,             no vernalization needed.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About 5-9 days; however,             longevity of individual flowers is highly dependent on             temperature and light conditions. Flowers persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Number of flowers per inflorescence.—9.         -   Inflorescence size.—Length: About 8 cm. Diameter: About 23             cm.         -   Flowers.—Length: about 18 mm. Diameter: about 23 mm.             Lanceolate, acuminate petal lobes: 7 mm long and 5 mm wide.             Corolla color: upper and lower surfaces, RHS N87A, violet,             and RHS N88D, violet, and the bottom of the bell has this             same violet color.         -   Buds.—Length: up to 15 mm. Diameter: up to 4 mm. Shape:             oblong, ridged. Color: RHS 143C, green to RHS 84A-84D,             violet, on the edges.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Single, sympetalous, campanulate.             Quantity per flower: 5. Length: 8-10 mm. Width: 7 mm.             Overall shape: Arrow-shaped. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused.             Margin: Entire. Texture: Velvety. Color (when opening):             upper surface RHS 87A, violet, and lower surface RHS N82D,             purple-violet. Color (when opened): upper surface RHS N87A,             violet, and lower surface RHS N88D, violet. No fading, but             withers to RHS 156C, gray-white.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Shiny, glabrous, free. Quantity per             flower: 5. Length: 3 mm. Width: 1 mm. Overall shape:             Arrow-shaped. Apex: Cuspidate. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire.             Color: (immature — both surfaces) RHS 144B, yellow-green.             Color: (mature — both surfaces) RHS 138A, green.         -   Peduncles.—Strength: Moderately strong. Length: About 30 mm.             Diameter: About 1 mm. Color: 141B, green. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Androecium.—Stamen: Quantity: 5; fused until pollen has been             shed. Anther: Shape: Fused, after shedding curling. Length:             About 1 mm. Color: RHS 158B, yellow-white. Pollen: Amount:             Average production. Color: RHS 158B, yellow-white.         -   Gynoecium.—Pistil: Quantity: 1. Length: About 12 mm. Stigma:             Shape: Tripartite. Color: RHS 85A, violet. Style: Length:             About 11 mm. Color: RHS 84B, violet. Ovary: Color: RHS 150D,             yellow-green.         -   Seeds.—Quantity: 25 per flower. Length: About 1 mm.             Diameter: About 0.3 mm. Texture: Smooth and glabrous. Color:             Greyed-orange, RHS 175A.         -   Fruit.—Type: Capsule. Length: About 6 to 8 mm. Diameter:             About 2-3 mm. Color: RHS 164C, greyed-orange.         -   Growth retardants.—No growth retardants were used in the             breeding program.         -   Weather tolerance.—Plants of the new Campanula have             exhibited good tolerance to drought, rain and wind, with low             temperature resistance to −20° C. -   Disease/pest resistance: ‘PKMP05’ is not resistant to any diseases     or pests typical to Campanula cultivars. -   Disease/pest susceptibility: ‘PKMP05’ is susceptible to Botrytis. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Campanula plant named ‘PKMP05’, as illustrated and described herein. 